Midseason Report: Rookie of the Year

The class of 2017 has been busy making a name for itself this spring. Now that teams have half a season under their belts, the new faces and future leaders of the nation’s top conferences are becoming clearer and clearer. At the midseason mark, some rookies have emerged not only on their own team, but also on the national stage. Let’s take a look at who has impressed so far this season:

1. Cortney Fortunato, Notre Dame, Attack/Midfield

Not only is Fortunato leading all No. 6 Notre Dame scorers with 28 goals and 10 assists, but she is one of the NCAA’s top offensive threats, ranking 18th in goals scored nationally. On March 11th, Fortunato was named the Brine Player of the Week by ILWomen and the ACC Player of the Week with good reason: she has been carrying the Fighting Irish this spring. In addition to her scoring prowess, she has also picked up16 ground balls and 14 draw controls. The future is very bright in South Bend.

2. Sydney Holman, North Carolina, Attack

North Carolina has firmly held onto its No. 1 ranking, as other top teams have moved up and down the list in the last few weeks. The UNC offense is averaging 18.2 goals per game, compared to its impressive 8.6 GAA scoring defense. The rookie quarterbacking attacker is a major reason why, leading the way for the Tar Heels heading into April. On an already stacked UNC team, her impact has been irreplaceable. On the season, Holman's racked up 23 goals, 21 assists, 16 ground balls, and five caused turnovers.

3. Dorrien Van Dyke, Stony Brook, Midfield

Van Dyke leads all No. 17 Stony Brook scorers with 32 goals and ranks eighth nationally in goals per game and fifth in goals scored; she also has 10 assists, 20 ground balls, and 12 draw controls on the season. Against Siena on Mar. 22, Van Dyke broke school records for number of points scored in a game by a freshman with nine. She posted five goals and four assists on the Seawolves’ way to a 19-6 win. While Rubino garners much of the attention on this Seawolf midfield line, Van Dyke's presence is a huge reason why their odds of repeating as America East champs are looking good heading into the second half of the season.

4. Maggie Bill, North Carolina, Midfield

It comes as no surprise that North Carolina leads the way with three freshmen on this midseason list. The rookie-heavy lineup has packed quite the punch all over the field for No. 1 UNC since the start of the season. On the national stage against the U.S. Team, Bill and her classmates turned heads with their fearless nature and explosive athleticism. The Long Island native -- also a standout on the Carolina women's soccer team -- does most of UNC's grunt work through the midfield. Bill has recorded 18 points (15G, 3A) in addition to picking up 11 ground balls, 18 draw controls and causing four turnovers.

5. Sammi Burgess, Florida, Attack

Burgess is one of Florida's biggest threats on the attacking end of the field with 21 goals, 11 assists, 16 ground balls, and 11 draw controls on the season. The freshman is second in points only to junior Shannon Gilroy, the leading NCAA goal scorer and the dominating force on Florida’s attack. Well on her way to taking Gilroy’s spot atop the Gator lineup in just a few short years, Burgess has already been recognized as an ALC Rookie of the Week and is one of four freshmen to start in all 12 games this season for the Gators.

6. Carly Reed, North Carolina, Attack

Reed is one of the many decorated Tar Heel rookies having a storybook year on North Carolina’s deep roster. She ranks in the top 40 on the NCAA’s list of top scorers and has proven herself to be an asset all over the field coming off the bench for the 10-0 Tar Heels. She's recorded 24 goals and picked up 10 ground balls for the reigning national champs. With an impressive 62% shooting to her credit, Reed's ability to provide a scoring punch is key when defensive units try to key in on All-American Abbey Friend, reigning NCAA Tourney honoree Aly Messinger and classmate Sydney Holman.

7. Dakotah Savitcheff, Albany, Attack

A standout for the Albany Great Danes and a large component of their recent crack into the top 20 ranks, Savitcheff finds herself among the top scorers in the America East. The freshman attacker is the second leading scorer on Albany’s attack with 17 goals and has the highest shooting percentage on the team, scoring at nearly 60% accuracy on the season. As Albany looks to upend the 2013 America East champs, Stony Brook, and return to the NCAA Tournament, Savitcheff's production will be key in their quest.

8. Marisa Romeo, Harvard, Attack

Ranked the No. 7 incoming freshmen by Inside Lacrosse heading into the 2014 season, Romeo was a huge recruit for the Crimson to land as Coach Miller's squad looks to return to the Ivy League Tournament. Quietly making a name herself in the Ivy League and on the national landscape, Romeo ranks 20th in the NCAA in goals scored per game and has scored 22 total to lead all Harvard scorers in goals. Half of these goals have come against conference opponents, making her an invaluable talent warranting conference recognition in just her first Ivy season. Most notably, she notched a career-high five goas against Yale on March 22nd.

9. Zoe Stukenberg, Maryland, Midfield

With three consecutive wins against ranked opponents over the past couple weeks (No. 3 Syracuse, No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 13 Penn), Maryland has held tight in their No. 2 spot in the polls this spring behind the play of a number of All-American veterans. But, Stukenberg has been a bright spot for the Terps' future in just her first eight games at the collegiate level. Proving herself to be the elite freshman on this squad, she has started every game this spring and has logged 23 points, eight ground balls, and 12 draw controls.

10. Courtney Murphy, Stony Brook, Attack

Stony Brook currently sits 7-2 on the year, in large part due to Murphy and fellow Seawolf freshman Van Dyke's production. Murphy is right behind Van Dyke in goals scored (26) and is amongst the team leaders in points (29). After breaking school a record for points scored in a freshman debut (8) against Bucknell, Murphy was named the America East Rookie of the Week. Upon crossing the threshold into the collegiate ranks this spring, Murphy is one of the many players that has SBU firing on on all cyllinders heading into the second half of the season.